Keep your Mac laptop within acceptable operating temperatures
Your Mac laptop computer can get warm during normal use. Learn how you can manage its operating temperature.
Mac laptops comply with all temperature limits that are set in national and international safety standards. Make sure to follow the user guide instructions regarding safety and handling.
Mac laptops have sensors that detect temperature changes inside your computer. If your Mac laptop has fans, they turn on automatically to cool critical components.
Tips to manage the operating temperature:
Make sure that you’ve installed all Mac software updates.
Use your Mac laptop where the ambient temperature is between 50° and 95° F (10° and 35° C). Don’t leave your Mac laptop in your car, because temperatures in parked cars can exceed this range. You should also use your Mac laptop where the relative humidity is between 0% and 95% (noncondensing).
Use your Mac laptop on a stable work surface that allows for good ventilation. Don’t use your Mac laptop in your bed, on a pillow, or under bedding.
Don’t put anything over the keyboard.
If your Mac laptop has ventilation openings, don't put anything into them.
Use only Apple-authorized power adapters.
If your Mac laptop gets warm even when it isn’t doing tasks that require intensive calculations, or if it has fans that run for a long time, use Activity Monitor to check CPU activity. Look for malfunctioning processes that can put a significant load on the CPU and check for unexpected fan use. If issues persist, close and open the lid on your laptop, or restart your computer. If you have an Intel-based Mac, reset the SMC.
If you use third-party apps that measure the temperature of your laptop computer, it’s important to understand that they don't measure the external case temperature. The case temperature is much lower. Never use third-party apps to diagnose possible hardware issues.
If you have issues with your Mac laptop’s operating temperature, contact Apple. Or visit an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider.
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